2.  August 23 1939: Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Soviet Union This Treaty was created to ensure that each country would remain neutral if either was attacked by a 3 rd party (country)  September 1 st 1939: Germany invades Poland… WAR!  September 29 th 1939: The Soviets and Germany divide Poland The Nazis take the western half of Poland, while the Soviets take the eastern half

3.  May 10 th 1940: Winston Churchill becomes Britain's new Prime Minister  May 26 th – June 3 rd 1940: The Miracle At Dunkirk 338,226 Allied soldiers were rescued at Dunkirk from the advancing German army. Ships from massive Destroyers to 15 foot fishing boats were used for the evacuation. Many believe this saved the Allies.  June 22 nd 1940: Germany now has control over Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands and France

4.  July 10 th 1940: The Battle of Britain begins Hitler had a grand plan to invade the British Isles. Before he could do this, he decided to begin a MASSIVE bombing campaign to pound Britain into submission. By October 31 st Hitler realized he could not cripple the Royal Air Force (RAF) OR the British people, and quit the campaign.  July 23 rd 1940: The Soviet Union now controlled Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia

6. What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization. Upon it depends our own British life, and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.' -Winston Churchill, June 18, 1940

8. -In 1940 the British High Command, along with PM Churchill, had agreed that Hong Kong was not worth defending against a Japanese invasion. -In 1941 the British asked the Canadian government if they would send troops to help protect the island. They said YES. -Canada wanted to get their army into the war, and the Chinese leader Chiang Kai Shek was also pressuring the British to send troops to help them against the Japanese invasion.